Student teachers’ interpretation of leadership in educational contexts Margaret Nohilly & Eilís O Sullivan, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
ABSTRACT This paper considers student teachers’ perspectives and interpretations of leadership in primary (national) schools in Ireland. It focuses on the findings of research undertaken with two cohorts of student teachers in their final year of study. In total 621 students participated in the research. To contextualise the research findings, the paper begins by charting the Irish primary school system and development of leadership structures within it. Focusing on education policy in Ireland and drawing on the work of Spillane, inter alia, this paper considers some concepts of leadership. It moves then to outline briefly the Bachelor of Education programme in the university college where the study was undertaken. In detailing the research findings, the paper highlights the student teachers’ experiences of being led through the formal and informal leadership structures within schools while undertaking school or professional placement, a core component of the students’ university programme. The paper also presents the students’ perceptions of their potential to contribute to distributed leadership within the school in which they are completing their final placement. The findings of the students’ interpretation of their ability to contribute to distributed leadership when they leave university and are appointed to teaching positions in schools in Ireland are also outlined. As part of their conclusion, the authors suggest that the extension of this research to include cohorts from each of the teacher education colleges in Ireland could support future policy development in initial teacher education. ACHOIMRE Déantar iniúchadh san alt seo ar pheirspictíochtaí agus ar thuiscintí múinteoirí faoi oiliúint ar an gceannaireacht i mbunscoileanna (scoileanna náisiúnta) in Éirinn. Dírítear ann ar thorthaí taighde a rinneadh le dhá chohórt múinteoirí faoi oiliúint i mbliain deiridh na céime. Ghlac 621 mac léinn ar an iomlán páirt sa taighde. Tugtar achoimre ar an gcóras bunscoileanna in Éirinn agus ar fhorbairt na struchtúr ceannaireachta ann ar dtús chun torthaí an taighde a chur i gcomhthéacs. Dírítear ar an mbeartas oideachais in Éirinn agus baintear leas as saothar Spillane, inter alia, agus féachtar sa pháipéar seo ar choincheapa áirithe den cheannaireacht. Tugtar achoimre ansin ar chlár an Bhaitsiléara Oideachais sa choláiste ollscoile inar tugadh faoin staidéar. Agus na torthaí taighde á léiriú, cuirtear béim sa pháipéar seo ar eispéireas na múinteoirí faoi oiliúint ar a bheith á dtreorú trí struchtúir fhoirmiúla agus neamhfhoirmiúla na ceannaireachta i scoileanna agus iad ar shocrúchán scoile nó gairmiúil. Is gné bhunriachtanach den chlár ollscoile atá sa socrúchán sin. Ina theannta sin, cuirtear i láthair freisin tuairimí na mac léinn maidir lena gcumas cur leis an gceannaireacht roinnte sa scoil ina bhfuil an socrúchán deiridh á dhéanamh acu. Tugtar achoimre freisin ar thuairimí na mac léinn maidir lena gcumas cur leis an gceannaireacht roinnte ar fhágáil na hollscoile dóibh agus ar a gceapadh mar mhúinteoirí i scoileanna in Éirinn. Mar chuid den chonclúid, tugann na húdair le tuiscint go bhféadfaí tacú le forbairt beartais amach anseo in oiliúint tosaigh múinteoirí ach an taighde seo a fhairsingiú chun cohóirt a chuimsiú ó na coláistí oiliúna go léir in Éirinn.
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